By Atul Rawat
Nothing swells our chests with pride more than the success of our athletes in multi nation, multi discipline events. In the recently concluded Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya, our women athletes in general and women hockey team in particular just did that. How we rejoiced at their success and prayed for them to hold on the 1-0 lead in the final match against China! Just imagine, the gold medal was won after a 44-year wait!!
It is a tribute to the culmination of years of hard work and team spirit.
This is one such moment when sport becomes more than sport. Remember the 1983 Cricket One Day World Cup when we beat the famed and feared West Indies. It was something like that for sure.
These twenty women come with twenty different journeys – and this piece is a small tribute to them.
Not only do they come from different villages, towns and states, they also come from different families and circumstances.
Yet, by the time they reached the finals, buoyed by their outstanding World Cup performance, they had already taken the expectations—and the appetite of fans like me—to stratospheric heights.
Savita Punia — The Wall under the Bar. From Jodhkan in Haryana came a young girl who took up hockey and eventually became one of the finest goalkeepers Indian women’s hockey has ever produced. She is an Olympian and has been playing at the top level for nearly two decades. Not only is she courageous under the bar, she saved the heart stopping penalty stroke that inspired the team to fight even harder.
Salima Tete — Super Salima, Our Captain Courageous. Super Salima is the only way to describe her. Coming from Barki Chhapar village, Simdega in Jharkhand, she is the captain courageous at the age of just 24 years! If there is one player in the team that has to charge out to tackle the penalty corners of the opponents, it is our captain courageous. Numerous body blows from the drag flicker’s shots that she has taken fearlessly while defending, has earned her the respect of teams the world over.
Deepika — The New Weapon. She emerged as the one of India’s most dangerous attacking players and an important penalty-corner weapon. Her drag-flick gives India the ability to turn a single penalty corner into a goal.
Sushila Chanu — the Quiet Manipuri. The quiet Manipuri is an Olympian and the glue that holds the team together. She is one of the most experienced player in the team and keeps the unit cohesion at all times.
Nikki Pradhan — The Hard Worker. From Hesel village in Khunti, Jharkhand came Nikki Pradhan, a two-time Olympian. Nikki represents the often-unseen labour of midfield. She wins the ball – Retains it – Finds the next pass – Covers for a teammate – Runs back – Runs forward. All the time.
Navneet Kaur — The Speedster. An outstanding attacker in the frontline, she was the source of countless speedy manoeuvres in the opponents’ 30-yard area. Her speed and the wizardry with the ball, leaves even the best defenders flummoxed.
Lalremsiami — Mizoram’s Little Champ. Her goal in the final won us the match. The pace that she generates leaves the defenders unsettled. From a village to the biggest Asian centre stage her reverse stick strike in a flash found the net leaving the Chinese goalkeeper stunned. India had the lead. Her natural ability to generate speed is unmatched.
Sunelita Toppo — The Future. At just 19 years of age, Sunelita Toppo represents the future. Hailing from Sundargarh, Odisha, she provides the energy of a teenager on the field.
Sakshi Rana — Young champion. Another teenager just 19 years old, and she is making everyone sit up and notice her skills.
Rutuja Pisal — Attacker par excellence. Hailing from Satara, Maharashtra she has emerged as one of India’s promising attacking players.
Beauty Dungdung —Jharkhand’s Daughter. From Karangaguri village in Simdega Jharkhand, Beauty Dungdung is another product of the state’s remarkable hockey culture.
The others who complete the team are – Bichu Devi Kharibam from Manipur. Jyoti, Ishika, Neha and Shilpi Dabas from Haryana. Ishika Chaudhary from Madhya Pradesh. Lalthantluangi from Mizoram. Deepika Soreng from Jharkhand. Baljeet Kaur from Punjab.
Each has a different story, yet when they put on the Indian jersey, they become India.
If we just look at the map – Haryana, Jharkhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, they hail from every nook and corner of India. More importantly, they come from small towns away from the metros.
Who would have ever thought that girl from Simdega would become captain of India, that the goalkeeper from Haryana would become India’s most-capped women’s hockey player, and the women from Manipur and Mizoram would come carrying the sporting traditions of the North-East.
They also tell the stories of parents who stood by them, sometimes against the wishes of their near and dear ones. They tell the stories of the ecosystem that nurtured their talent and helped them reach where they are today. And they tell the stories of the coaches and support staff who, over the years, have become an intrinsic part of Team India—the people behind the players, whose contribution is often unseen but never insignificant.
We say Thank you. We say thank you for the hours nobody saw, for the injuries nobody knew about, for the defeats that never made the headlines, for getting up after falling. For carrying the Indian flag into stadiums around the world, and above all, for showing millions of young Indian girls that there is a place for them on the field.
The exceptional twenty – We salute you.
PS – A word of thanks to Sjoerd Marijne — Chief Coach & the entire support staff. He was the architect of the revival. The Dutchman returned to Indian women’s hockey in January 2026, having previously guided India to that extraordinary fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
(The author blogs at NotesfromDehradun@Atul Rawat)
